  Tonight I watched a haunting movie entitled Elephant which was done by Gus Van Sant. It is a highly regarded independent film that was released in 2003. I think it is supposed to be a take on the Columbine High School tragedy, either that or a fictional occurance of a very similar event at another school. It really doesnt matter though. The film in my opinion is very flawed and at times poorly constructed.
I was disappointed in a way given the high critical acclaim but on the same note found the film incredibly moving and realistic. I find myself sitting afterward thinking back on the high school days from my time and how children of that age are. They are exactly as I stated children, something we seem to often forget. We put enormous pressure on the children of today to become adults at younger and younger ages. I think back to my times as a teenager and how important but unimportant that times were. I made many "mistakes" which if you listen to those guiding us will lead you down the path of self destruction. I don't see it as that. I think you learn more from your choices as a teenager than any time in your life. It does play a role in your future developement but not such a role that you can't recover from a mistake as we seem to lead this generations children to believe. Thinking back to those times, I just keep thinking how young I really was, despite myself really not recognizing it at the time. I have done so much growing since high school ended and now its almost a seperate life-time. Perhaps its the pressures being put on our youth to achieve, to be adults, that leads to them snapping.
When you feel the burdon of the rest of your life on your shoulders when you aren't really mature its tough to take on that heavy burdon of responsibility of choices. In a way such pressure stunts the developement of one as a person because we expect them to be there already. In modern times its more important than ever to really try to understand our youth as youth. There are more destructive things out there than ever and if a mistake is made teach them that they can use that mistake to learn from. They can use it to mold them into who they really want to be. An F is not the end of the world but a growing pain.
There are options to find your way down the path you wish to follow no matter how it started that. I really hope if or when I become a father that I am able to remember such rules and really can help guide my children's developement and not push them to be the person I want them to be. Everyone is beautiful in their own way. Appreciate that along with embracing it. *Goodnight* 
